


The Twelve Dates of Christmas

by Luces



Category: South Park
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Anal Sex, Awkward Craig Tucker, Bottom Craig Tucker, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Coffee Shops, Confident Tweek Tweak, First Dates, First Meetings, It's like a Hallmark movie but with smut, M/M, Meet-Cute, Oral Sex, SP Creek Server Secret Santa 2020, Top Tweek Tweak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:08:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28315785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luces/pseuds/Luces
Summary: Craig Tucker is a grad student who recently got out of a long term relationship. His best friend and roommate, Clyde, wants to help him get back out into the dating game, so he signs him up for a Christmas themed dating app called The Twelve Dates of Christmas. He's set up with twelve dates on each day leading up to Christmas, and on Christmas Eve he has to pick who he wants to spend Christmas with and hope the feeling it mutual. Will one of his many dates sweep him off his feet, or will Tweek, the cute, flirty coffee shop owner, win him over first?
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Comments: 14
Kudos: 59
Collections: sp creek server secret santa 2020





	The Twelve Dates of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [permanentchaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/permanentchaos/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Creek Secret Santa to Permanent Chaos! Let me tell you how much SS requests you can fit in this baby! You got Creek! You got a coffee shop AU! You got smut, awkward gay Craig/confident Tweek, Christmas/winter feel, AND bonus "Cryle" (that I had way too much fun writing, so I'm not apologizing for it! XD). You are always fun to chat with on the server and I'm glad that I am fortunate enough to be able to get to know you.
> 
> I did not mean for this fic to be this long, but here we are. I hope the people of the 18+ Creek Server and anyone else who checks out this absurd story enjoys it, too!

“A pop-up dating app?” Craig stared at his best friend, his face scrunched up in disbelief. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

“Nah, dude! For realsies! It’s the hottest thing for singles in the city right now!” Clyde’s voice was so full of joy that Craig _almost_ felt bad for how cynical he was being.

“Okay, fine. But how does something like that even _work_? Like...I get how a pop-up shop works, but how can enough people learn about the dating app in such a short amount of time for it to even be useful? Like how can you get properly matched with someone when the dating pool is only a hundred dudes who just want to jerk off on cam in front of you? Do you see how this idea doesn’t make any fucking sense?”

“Viral marketing, bro!”

Craig raised a suspicious eyebrow at Clyde.

“Look dude,” said Clyde, “just trust me on this, okay? Seriously. And besides, when have I ever led you astray?”

“More times than I can count.”

“Zero, exactly! Christmas is a lonely time of year, so a Christmas themed dating app is a perfect idea!”

Craig rolled his eyes, silence being his reply.

Clyde moved closer to Craig and put his arm around his shoulders. “Craig, my man,” he continued, “it’s been months since you moved here for grad school and broke up with your old boyfriend—”

“ _He_ broke up with _me._ Not the other way around. I wanted to try long distance, but _noooo!_ That would _never_ work. And people say _I’m_ the cynical one.”

“—and you’ve barely gone out with me anywhere! As your oldest and bestest friend, I take a vested interest in your love life.”

“You sound like the friend character in some cheesy romcom,” laughed Craig.

“You’re damn right! I’ll even put on a blonde wig and let you call me Katie or Lauren or whatever.”

“Oh god, please don’t!” Craig could barely breathe through his laughter. “I’ll check out the stupid app if you just promise to not try drag! I’ll even download it right now, okay?”

“No need! I already downloaded it for you.”

Clyde had a shit-eating grin on his face. Craig would punch that smug face if it weren’t so damn lovable.

“When exactly did you have time to do that?” asked Craig.

“When you were jerking off in the shower.”

“How did you know…?”

“I’ve been your best friend since elementary school. I’ve been with you through puberty, dude. And the walls are thin in this apartment. So yeah, I know what you sound like when you rub one out. Anyway, that’s why I knew that you needed to get back out there! Sure, your hand is probably nice and all, but it’s always a little more fun with a partner, am I right?”

Craig sighed. Clyde was right. He had been feeling lonely since the break-up, but the thought of getting back out into the dating scene after being in a long-term relationship was terrifying.

“That was your ‘Clyde is right and I hate it’ sigh, so lemme show you how the app works!”

Clyde took Craig’s hand and dragged him over to the couch. Craig pulled his phone from his pocket before they sat down.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” asked Craig.

“What? What’s the problem now?”

“The Twelve Dates of Christmas? _That’s_ the name they chose? Are you sure this isn’t just some viral ad campaign for some fucking Hallmark Christmas movie?”

“That’s how it works, though. You make your profile and then the app matches you with twelve people, and then it helps you schedule twelve dates each day leading up to Christmas. At the end, you’re supposed to pick who you want to spend Christmas day with, and hopefully they pick you, too.”

“Okay, first off, that’s not even the twelve days of Christmas—that’s December 25th to January 5th, not the twelve days _before_ Christmas.”

“Craig, you’re being a negative Nancy.”

“And secondly, that plan just seems like a recipe for a major fucking letdown. What are the odds that out of twelve different dates, the person I pick to spend Christmas with also picks me?”

“Well I didn’t think about that…” said Clyde.

“Exactly. The app is fucking dumb. It probably _is_ some weird ass Hallmark ad, and because of that, it probably only does straight matches.”

“Nah dude! It totally has choices for sexuality and gender!” Clyde opened the app and showed the profile maker to Craig.

Craig hummed and stared at the phone. 

“It’s just twelve days, dude. Twelve days, twelve dates, and then if you don’t meet anyone you like and it doesn’t get you back into the swing of dating, then I’ll keep my big mouth shut. I just want to see you happy and loved, you know?”

It was statements like that which reinforced Craig’s belief that he and Clyde were platonic soulmates. He just needed to find that romantic soulmate to be the other piece.

He sighed and closed his eyes. “Okay. I give in. I’ll do it. What’s the worst that could happen, right? If I get turned down by twelve people, then you and I will get shit-faced together on Christmas.”

“Yeah, uh...about that,” said Clyde. “I actually have plans on Christmas. I’ve been kinda seeing someone recently, and I was going to go over her place on Christmas Eve and deck her halls while she jingles my bells. If ya know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I know wh—”

“We’re gonna fuck all night.”

“Yeah, I got it, dude. Now get the fuck out of here or I’ll shove this goddamn app up your ass.”

“You know I don’t like butt stuff,” Clyde pouted, pausing in the doorway.

“Get the fuck out!” Craig laughed as he threw one of the couch cushions at Clyde.

* * *

After class ended for the day, Craig cut across the campus green instead of heading straight for the subway. It was the first day of his twelve dates of Christmas, and as much as he wanted to turn right around and say _fuck it all_ , he decided that it would be good for him to get out some and explore the city. Clyde was right that he had been living there for a while now, but never did much other than grad school and work. When he did have free time, it was usually curled up on the couch playing Animal Crossing.

Craig had purposely scheduled all of his dates from this app at a coffee shop on the other side of the city. He had never been to this part before, so he figured that if the dates were catastrophic, at least no one would know him and he could forget that they ever happened.

He only had to wait a few minutes for the bus to arrive. His stomach began to swirl with nervous butterflies. This was it. He told himself that if he could just get on the bus, he’d do it. That was the hard part, after all.

Standing in front of the cafe, he realized that the _actual_ hard part was going through the door. Craig looked at his phone and saw that his date was supposed to start in five minutes. He took a deep breath and took the plunge.

A bell rang as Craig walked through the door. Various people were scattered throughout the cafe, and none of them paid any attention at Craig’s arrival. He scanned the room, looking for someone who matched the picture of his first date. When he didn’t find them, he approached the counter.

The man behind the counter was facing away from Craig. He was pouring some steamed milk into a ceramic mug and humming a tune that Craig couldn’t place. The man finally placed the mug onto a small tray, picked it up, and walked out onto the main floor of the shop.

“I’ll be with you in a moment, sir!” he called out as he walked towards an older woman sitting alone at a small round table. “Here you go, Mrs. Farnickle,” he said, placing the tray down in front of her. “I see your other half isn’t here with you today. Is he feeling okay?”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you to ask, Tweek. My sweetheart was just feeling a little under the weather today. I think I might take his usual order to go, if you please? I think that would really make him feel better.”

“No problem. I’ll brew up his favorite before you’re ready to go. And it’s on me, today. My treat.”

The barista placed his hand on the older woman’s back and winked at her. Craig watched as he returned to the counter, humming the same tune he had been earlier. Craig was caught staring when the barista turned to face him.

“Hey there! Welcome to Hyperbean Coffee, where we’ll blast your ass from tired to wired! What can I get for you this afternoon?” he smiled and slapped the counter with his hand.

“I, uh…” Craig was thrown off by both the loud sound and the unorthodox slogan for the cafe. “Just...a regular coffee, please. To stay.”

“Just a regular coffee, huh? Sounds like you’re a guy who likes it nice and boring.” The barista chuckled as he turned around and made quick work of obtaining Craig’s coffee. “I just brewed this one about fifteen minutes ago. It’s a medium roast. You want a little sugar with that? Maybe some creamer? Or are you an alternative milk kinda guy?”

Craig was oddly mesmerized by this guy. He was so—what’s the right word for it? Chill? Comfortable? Confident? Craig was so used to corporate coffee chains where the employees were bound by policies and drained of any passion they may have had that he found this guy to be a breath of fresh air. He was so entranced, in fact, that he didn’t realize that he was staring again.

“Hey, Earth to spaceman, you alright?” the barista laughed.

Craig blinked and looked down at the coffee in front of him. The ceramic mug was designed to look like the head of a chicken, with the beak protruding out the other side like a small second handle. It was cute and quirky—kinda like the barista.

“Uh...thanks...barista guy.”

“You can call me Tweek,” he grinned.

“Hi, Tweek. You can call me Craig.”

“Nice to meet you, Craig,” said Tweek as he rang up Craig’s order. “Never seen you in here before. Are you new to the area?”

“Yes and no...if that makes sense. I moved here a few months ago, but I live in a different neighborhood. I’m only here today because—”

Craig stopped mid-sentence. He was still embarrassed about the idea of using this ridiculous dating app. If he was going to be in here every day until Christmas, then he really didn’t want Tweek knowing the real reason that he was here. He didn’t need anyone to know.

“Because?” Tweek looked like he was holding his breath in anticipation. He leaned forward on the counter, staring Craig down, the muscles in his right eye beginning to twitch. Craig couldn’t help but stare right back.

“Uh...because I had to do some errands in the area for my mentor. Grad school mentor, I mean. Always getting you to do shit for them. You know how it is.” Craig laughed nervously.

“Nah, I really wouldn’t,” said Tweek, standing up straight. “Alrighty Craig, that’ll be two sixty five.”

Craig paid for the coffee and picked up the mug, thanking Tweek as he turned to look for a place to sit. It took another five minutes for his first date to arrive.

* * *

Craig stood in front of Hyperbean on day two with twice as much confidence as day one. The date had gone well. It wasn’t anything earth-shattering, but he and his date had a nice, easy conversation with no long, awkward pauses. It felt like meeting someone at school for the first time. If all of the other dates lined up were trash, he thought that he would be happy spending Christmas day with him. It could be nice.

Craig pulled his blue chullo down tighter around his ears as a cold wind rushed past him. It was getting colder out and it was almost dark, even though it was only half past four. Time for date two.

“Hey! It’s Craig!” Tweek called out as Craig came through the door. “Fancy seeing you again today.”

Seeing him for the second time, Craig began to notice the details of Tweek’s appearance. His hair was a light golden blond and pulled back off his face and neck with a hunter green hair claw. It was long enough to need it, but not quite long enough to be pulled back into a ponytail. His apron hid an unkempt t-shirt mostly from view, but it couldn’t hide the fact that it was half tucked in, like Tweek had been distracted by something before he could finish. He was wearing jeans—jeans that were tighter than one would expect to be wearing at a job where they have to move around a lot. His apron was probably white when he first put it on, but it was so covered in coffee stains that it had taken on an entirely different color.

Tweek smirked at Craig as he approached the counter. There was something dangerously flirtatious about the look.

“Out doing errands for your mentor again?” he asked.

“Uh...yeah,” said Craig, hesitantly.

“Was that your mentor who was in here with you yesterday?”

Craig snorted through his nose. “Fuck no. My mentor is sixty-two years old and has sworn off caffeine.”

Tweek clutched at his chest and stumbled back in an overly dramatic fashion. “Sworn off caffeine? I take that as a personal attack!”

Craig laughed and his face broke into a grin.

Tweek pointed at him as he stepped backward. “Good. I got you to smile. Same order as yesterday?”

Craig nodded and Tweek got to work.

“I lied,” Craig said as Tweek was pouring his coffee.

“I knew your mentor would never swear off caffeine. That’s just crazy talk.”

“No, dude,” Craig chuckled. “I mean...I lied about being in this neighborhood on errands for him. I’m, uh...I was actually on a date yesterday.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. I have a bunch of coffee dates lined up all through Christmas. It was my goofy friend’s idea to ‘get me back out there’, so to say.” Craig did air quotes as he spoke.

“Your friend sounds like they’re out of a shitty romantic comedy.” Tweek brought the finished cup over to Craig and rang him up at the register.

“That’s what I told him. But still...here I am. Out there. Out here.” He handed Tweek a five dollar bill. “I don’t want anything back.”

Tweek thanked him and stuffed the tip into his apron pocket. He grabbed a cleaning rag and began to wipe down his work area. Craig could hear the familiar hum from yesterday. Craig held the mug in his hands and felt the heat radiating through the ceramic. He tapped his fingers against it.

“Hey Tweek?” he finally blurted out.

“Hmm? What’s up?” Tweek asked, his eyes still focused on cleaning.

“It’s okay for me to keep bringing the rest of my dates here, right? Like that wouldn’t be weird or make you uncomfortable? ”

Tweek stopped cleaning and stood up straight. He laughed and crossed his arms across his chest. “Why would it? Business is business. You can date as many people as you want, I don’t give a fuck. I’m not one to slut shame, trust me. And as a small independent coffee shop owner, I have to take the sales where I can get them. So you can bring whoever the fuck you want in here, as long as they buy something.” Tweek winked at Craig and returned to cleaning.

Craig was about to ask Tweek another question when the bell above the cafe door rang. Craig turned to see two men who looked about his age walk in.

“Hey Stan! Kenny! How are you guys!”

Craig almost spilled his coffee in surprise as Tweek abruptly leapt over the counter and ran into the arms of his friends.

“It’s been so fucking long,” Tweek mumbled into their shoulders.

Craig watched them reunite for a moment before he was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find a young man who couldn’t have been much older than twenty.

“Hi, I think you might be my date? Are you Craig?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Craig picked up his coffee mug and followed his date to a table toward the back. On the way, he glanced back at Tweek catching up with his friends, and smiled.

* * *

“It’s always a pleasure to see you, Debbie. Tell the kids I say hi and to stick to decaf until they’re older.”

Tweek waved at his exiting customer, then turned to Craig.

“Hey, Craig! Here for another date? How did the one yesterday go?”

“It was okay. The guy was way too young for me, though. He’s a freshman at the same university as me. I’m almost thirty. I tend to prefer guys around my age, sometimes older.”

“How did you end up on a date with a fetus then?”

Craig started to laugh so quickly that he ended up choking on his own saliva. He held onto the countertop as he coughed and caught his breath.

“ _Gah!_ Don’t die on me!” shrieked Tweek. “I didn’t mean for that joke to kill you, damn!”

Craig started to laugh again once he was alright.

“I’m fine, dude, don’t worry. I just didn’t expect that.” He nervously tapped his fingers on the edge of the counter. “To answer your question, I ended up on a date with a...younger man because a dating app paired us together.”

“A dating app, huh?”

Craig nodded sheepishly. He felt a warmth spread across his cheeks.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, dude,” said Tweek. “Dating apps are everywhere.”

“This app is pretty stupid, though,” Craig said softly.

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s a so-called pop-up app and it’s Christmas themed. It’s called the Twelve Dates of Christmas.”

This time it was Tweek’s turn to choke on his own saliva while laughing. “You’ve gotta be shitting me.”

“I shit you not. It pairs you with twelve other singles and you date one each day leading up to Christmas, and _then_ you’re supposed to pick your favorite and hope they pick you too so that you can spend Christmas Day together."

“That sounds awfully convoluted,” Tweek said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Yeah. See this is why I didn’t want to take my dates anywhere near where I go to school, work, or live. I’m ashamed that I’m using this stupid app and I wanted to decrease my chances of running into someone I’d know. I’m not a people person, generally, so I’m already fighting a losing battle with these dates. If I then had to deal with the anxiety of explaining to some dick from my department why I’m here, I’d be done.”

“I can relate to that.” Tweek placed the mug full of coffee in front of Craig. “I have social anxiety when I’m in new situations with large groups of people. I get, uh...I get really panicked, you know? Like I can’t speak in full sentences, my thoughts start racing, and it feels like I can’t breathe. It’s why I’m thankful that I have this place. I used to work as a grunt in a Starbucks back in my late teens. It was a trainwreck. It was always so busy and hectic and I couldn't focus and I was absolutely miserable. But after a couple of years of that, I decided to take the plunge and try opening my own place. It has a small but dedicated following, and I like it that way.”

“Yeah, you were saying something about you being the owner yesterday. How do you run it all by yourself?”

“Easy—I don’t,” Tweek laughed.

“But you’re the only one I ever see in here. Do you have a business partner?”

“Nah, no business partner, but I do have other employees. You’ve only ever just seen me because around this time of day it’s not that busy and I don’t need someone else. If you could ever get any dates for a different time, then you’d see my other staff.”

Tweek gave him a playful grin as he placed the coffee in front of Craig. The bell rang above the doorway. Tweek’s grin grew bigger.

“Looks like that’s probably your date right now.”

Craig turned around to see his date looking awfully confused while staring at their phone.

“Hi, is this Hyperbean Coffee? I’m looking for a Craig, Craig Tucker? I have a date here at four thirty sharp with a Craig Tucker!”

Craig reluctantly raised his hand. “Yeah, that’s me.”

He looked over at Tweek while placing a five on the counter. “ _Help me!”_ he whispered.

Tweek bit his lip to stifle his laughter as he waved to Craig. “Have fun!”

* * *

The city felt magical when it snowed. There was a sense of peace and calm that filled the air. Craig liked the snow—he really did. He just liked it when he could enjoy it from inside his apartment with a cup of something hot to keep him warm. He wasn’t a big fan when he had to actually go out into the snow. He hated being cold and wet.

As much as Craig had wanted to say _fuck it_ and cancel his date for the day—especially once he realized that he’d be late if he waited for the next bus which was delayed—he bundled himself up as best he could and trudged through the dirty city snow filled with sand and car exhaust. He pulled his scarf up over his face to protect himself from the falling snow being whipped into his face by a particularly strong gust of wind. When he finally reached the shop, he was covered in white.

“What up, Frosty! Welcome to Hyperbean Coffee, where we’ll blast your ass from tired to wired!”

Craig pulled off a mitten and flipped off Tweek before he started to shake off the excess snow from his body.

“Ha ha, very funny, Tweek. It’s cold as balls out there. You’re lucky I even came all the way out here today.”

“Oh yeah, your five dollars is going to save me from going out of business because of one snowy day. Thank you so much!” Tweek doubled over in laughter as Craig flipped him off once more. 

“Should I get you the usual?” asked Tweek once he could breathe again.

“You know what? I’m gonna get a little wild. Since I walked here from school cause the buses are fucked from the snow, I’m going to have a hot chocolate.”

Tweek went to work making the order. When he turned around to hand it to Craig, he noticed that Craig’s clothes were dripping wet.

“ _Ngh!_ Dude! Let me help you with that!”

“Huh?”

“Your clothes!”

“What about them?”

“You’re soaked, dumbass! Here, take them off and hand them to me. I’ll hang them over by the heater so they can dry while you’re on your date.”

Tweek moved around the counter and took Craig’s scarf and chullo. Craig took off his coat and draped it over Tweek’s held out arm. He looked around the cafe as Tweek went over to a set of brass hooks on the wall. The cafe was nearly empty, spare for two middle aged women sipping from their mugs while they watched the snow fall together, and one older man reading the newspaper in the corner.

Craig turned back to look at Tweek, who had accidentally dropped the scarf on the floor. Tweek bent down to pick it up, and as he did, his t-shirt rode up, exposing some skin. Craig noticed what looked like a tattoo on his lower back. He couldn’t get a good look at it, but just knowing it was there made him break into a smile.

Tweek stood back up and tugged at his shirt as he returned to the register. “Alrighty then. The hot chocolate is three-fifty, and the jacket drying service is free of charge.”

Tweek eyed Craig as he paid for his drink. “You know, you never told me how your date went yesterday.”

Craig pursed his lips and averted his eyes. “Let’s not talk about it.”

“Aww, come on. That guy seemed _awesome_. I bet he was the best so far!” Tweek was clearly loving making Craig squirm a little bit.

“Okay. I’ll tell you. But only if you show me what’s on your back.”

Craig noticed a faint pink rise in Tweek’s cheeks.

“Oh, that? It’s just my tattoo.”

Tweek turned around, lifting up his t-shirt and pulling his jeans down about an inch. Staring at Craig, slightly to the left side of Tweek’s back, was a cartoon coffee bean with arms and legs holding a cup of coffee. It looked like lightning bolts were coming out of the coffee bean’s body and black squiggly lines around it gave it the appearance of twitching. It was honestly a little terrifying.

“That’s...special,” Craig said flatly.

Tweek laughed and readjusted his clothes. “Thanks? My friend Kenny is the artist.”

“I’m guessing that represents your love of coffee?”

“You could say that, I suppose. Or you could say we got really high one time back in college and Kenny wanted to give me a tattoo. That’s what he did. He said it was me as a coffee bean.”

“I can see the resemblance,” Craig laughed.

“Okay. Now it’s your turn.” Tweek smiled as Craig sighed and hung his head. “Let’s go sit over there and you can give me all the deliciously painful details.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. When your date finally gets here, I’ll leave you alone, but it’s been really slow this afternoon, and talking to you is way more entertaining than standing up here alone.”

* * *

Craig glanced at his phone for what felt like the one hundredth time. It had been an hour since he had arrived at Hyperbean. It had been fifty-two minutes since his date was supposed to meet him here. It had been twenty-six minutes since the last message he had sent his date on the app. There was still no reply.

Eight more minutes. He’d give him eight more minutes.

Craig’s eyes flitted between his phone and the door as the eight minutes counted down.

Nothing.

Craig buried his face in his hands. He felt stupid for being so disappointed about being stood up by some stupid stranger who was paired up with him on some stupid dating app. It’s not like it wasn’t the end of the world. He still had Clyde and the apartment. He still had grad school. He still had the cold cup of coffee that he hadn’t bothered to touch while he waited. But it still hurt. The embarrassment of waiting an entire hour at a place, waiting for someone who was never going to show up. He had hoped that he wasn’t going to care by having the dates in a different neighborhood, but he was wrong.

The sound of something being placed on the table made Craig finally put his hands down. In front of him was a small sandwich with the crusts cut off and a fresh cup of coffee. His eyes slowly scanned up to see Tweek pulling out the empty chair across from him, spinning it around, and straddling it.

“On the house,” said Tweek.

Craig looked back at the sandwich, unsure of what to say.

“It’s just peanut butter and jelly,” Tweek added. “I hope you aren’t allergic. I didn’t know if you liked the crusts or not, but I always find crusts off to be kinda comforting when I’m having a bad day.”

Craig picked up the sandwich and took a bite. It did feel comforting.

“I’m sorry about your date,” Tweek said softly. “I’ve been stood up a few times myself and...it sucks ass. You at least deserved a message from them saying they’re not coming, whatever the reason.”

Tweek stood up and pushed the chair back under the table. “I gotta get back to the counter.” Tweek placed his hand on Craig’s right shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Tomorrow will be better. I promise.”

Craig didn’t say anything as Tweek walked away. He finished the sandwich and took a sip of coffee. He had already begun to forget about his missed date, and was instead thinking about how his skin tingled when Tweek touched him.

* * *

“Here he is! The mack daddy of dating!” Clyde fired off a series of finger guns at Craig as he closed their apartment door.

“You’re such a dumbass,” Craig laughed.

“So you’re six dates in, bro. You gotta tell me how it’s going!”

Craig put his things away, grabbed a soda from the fridge, and joined Clyde on the couch. 

“Good, for the most part,” he said, cracking open the can and taking a swig. “Today’s date was nice.”

“That’s cool…but what do you mean by for the most part?”

“Well, for one thing, I was stood up yesterday."

“No way! Did they send you an apology text at least?” asked Clyde.

“Nope. I sent them a couple messages asking them if they were on their way, and one when I was leaving. I received nothing in return.”

“That’s shitty. Have they all been this bad?”

Craig offered the can of soda to Clyde, who held his hand up in refusal. “No. Most of the dates have been pretty decent. Two of the six dates kinda sucked. I guess that’s pretty good odds.”

“For a pop-up app that showed up two weeks before Christmas, I’m surprised you didn’t have more sucky dates.”

“Hey!” Craig swung the pillow next to him at Clyde’s chest. “That doesn’t give me a lot of confidence, given that this whole thing was _your_ idea!”

“Ow, jerk!” Clyde grinned. “I wanted you to get back out into the dating scene. I didn’t think you were actually going to find your soulmate through Twelve Dates of Christmas. I know I’m dumb, but I’m not _that_ dumb!”

Clyde smooshed the pillow in Craig’s face and let it drop onto his lap.

“Okay, what else? Give me all the deets!”

“Dude, don’t say deets.”

“I said deets, now gimme gimme gimme!” Clyde begged.

“I’ve been having my dates at this place called Hyperbean Coffee over on the east side **.** It’s this cozy little place. I like it. The guy who runs it is super cool. He’s really friendly with his customers. Just in the way he interacts with them. He’s really laid back, like he doesn’t give a fuck. I appreciate that in a business.”

“Uh-huh…” mused Clyde.

“When I was stood up, he actually brought me a sandwich and a second coffee for free.”

“That is pretty freaking nice. I’ve been stood up tons of times and no restaurant or cafe has ever given me free food.”

“Right? Oh, and he also has this fucking crazy tattoo of a caffeine-addicted coffee bean on his lower back.” Craig’s laughter was muffled by him taking another sip.

“The coffee guy showed you his back tattoo…unprompted?” 

“No, I asked to see it. I had caught a glimpse when I watched him bending over the other day.”

Clyde chuckled and shook his head. “Damn, dude. Sounds to me like you have a crush on the coffee guy.”

“What? No! I don’t have a crush on Tweek!”

Clyde raised an eyebrow at Craig. “You know his name?”

“Yes, Clyde. I know his name. I’ve been going there for the past six days, it’s a small shop, and he’s the only person working when I’m there. It’s not weird that I would know his name.”

“Mmhmm. Can you tell me the names of your six dates?”

“Uhh…”

“Can you tell me _any_ of their names?”

“ _Pshh_ , sure I can. There was…Terrence…and…uh…Phillip?”

Clyde stared stone-faced at Craig. Craig shifted uncomfortably.

“Trust me, dude. I don’t have a crush on Tweek. It would just be weird if I was going out on all these dates and I ended up falling for the guy who serves me coffee.”

Craig finished off his soda and stood up off the couch. He headed into the kitchen to put the can in the recycling bin. Once he was out of Clyde’s line of sight, he touched his right shoulder and smiled.

* * *

“Then there’s my sister who lives in Miami. I love visiting her, especially during this time of year. It just gets so cold here, right? I wish I could move somewhere warm, but I just love it here too much to leave.”

“Yeah, totally,” said Craig.

“Are you okay, Craig? You seem distracted.” His date looked at him, concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just a little distracted today. It’s nothing serious, though. Nothing important. I’m sorry, please continue.”

Craig tried his best to focus on his date in front of him. He was very attractive, like he had been chiseled out of granite by a Greek sculptor. He was polite and charming so far, and had recently finished grad school, too. On paper, he was exactly what Craig was looking for in a man. There was no good reason for why he shouldn’t be able to focus on him—except that Craig couldn’t stop thinking about someone else.

Tweek wasn’t here today.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal. He had already worked six days in a row—he probably just had a day off. The shop was his, so it wasn’t like he couldn’t take a day off when he needed it.

But the thought of something having happened to Tweek kept gnawing on the back of Craig’s mind. What if he got in an accident? What if he was sick with a cold? Did he have anyone to take care of him? Craig had tried asking the two people who were manning the store today, but all they could give him were a pair of shrugs and one lackadaisical _“I dunno, man, he's just not here today”_.

Craig shook away his worries and tried to pay attention to the details of his date’s face. He really was beautiful. Craig was a very lucky man to have been matched with him.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” asked Craig.

“Yes, of course!”

“Why did you bother getting a master’s degree? You should go into modeling.”

His date laughed and thanked him. “I actually did some modeling on the side to help pay the rent while I was working on my degree. It’s a lot more stressful than most people think, especially when you’re not a major name.”

Craig nodded. He traced the outline of his date’s face with his eyes. Such a strong square jaw and beautiful cheekbones. Nothing like Tweek’s round jaw and barely noticeable cheekbones. Tweek has cheeks that are the kind annoying grandparents adore—perfect for pinching.

Craig smiled at the thought of Tweek freaking out over someone pinching his cheeks. Thankfully his date smiled back, probably thinking that Craig was smiling at something that was said. Craig shook himself back into focus.

Focus on his date.

His hair was short and well groomed. Not like Tweek’s wild shaggy mane that could only be tamed by a hair claw.

Focus on his date.

His hair was a lovely honey blond. Tweek’s hair was blond, too. Craig liked the shade of Tweek’s hair better than his date’s hair. It seemed to fit him better.

“Craig?”

Craig snapped back to attention. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“You really, _really_ seem distracted. Are you sure you want to keep going with the date? It’s okay if you don’t.”

Craig felt a rush of guilt flow through his body. This guy was so incredibly kind and understanding, and Craig was wasting the chance to get to know him.

“I’m so sorry. I just...I can’t stop thinking about this other guy.”

“One of the other dates you’ve had so far?”

“No. No, I haven’t been on a date with him. He’s just a guy I know. I guess...I guess you could say he’s a friend. He wasn’t at work today and I’m just really worried if he’s okay.”

His date sighed. “If you’re that worried about him, he must be pretty special to you.”

“I dunno…”

“But that is very unfortunate for me.” His date smiled sadly. “For what it’s worth, I did really enjoy the little time we did spend together. Here’s my cell number, if you ever want to hit me up. Even if it’s just to rant about grad school with someone who understands.”

“Thanks. That’s really nice of you.”

His date stood up and they shook hands before he took off, leaving Craig alone with a new nagging thought:

_If you’re that worried about him, he must be pretty special to you._

* * *

“Hey Craig! How’s it going!”

The sound of Tweek’s voice was more comforting than Craig realized it would have been.

“Oh, thank god, you’re okay!” he said as he ran up to the counter. “I thought something had happened to you!”

Tweek laughed and leaned against the counter. “No no, I’m fine! Geez, can’t a guy have a day off? I might own the place, but damn!”

Craig sighed with relief. “It’s just really good to see you again.”

“You missed me, huh? I know, I know, I’m pretty damn lovable.”

Tweek struck a pose. Craig could barely contain himself with how cute he looked.

“So you gotta fill me in on your date yesterday,” said Tweek, gripping onto the counter. “How did it go?”

“Well…”

Craig didn’t want to be honest with Tweek. He could barely be honest with himself. He knew he had to tell him _something_ though, especially with how Tweek was staring at him.

“...he was very handsome. Did some modeling work while he was working on his master’s degree. Kinda looked like a blond Henry Cavill.”

“Nice!” Tweek turned around to start working on Craig’s drink. “The girls were saying that there was some hot guy who came in last night and sat with some dork in a blue hat.”

“Hey!”

Tweek turned around to look at Craig, a big grin on his face. “Don’t shoot the messenger! I’m just relaying what they told me.”

After he finished the drink and closed the transaction, Tweek leaned forward like he was going to tell Craig a secret. “Don’t think too much of it. They’re still young and have shitty taste in men. I, for one, don’t think you’re a dork in a hat. I think you’re a handsome man...who wears a dorky hat.”

“ _Hey!_ Leave my hat alone!” Craig tugged on the strings of his beloved chullo and pursed his lips into a smile. “It’s okay, old girl,” he whispered to his hat. “I won’t let the mean man hurt you.”

“Okay, I take it back. You _are_ a dork in a hat.”

Craig swiped his hand out, playfully slapping Tweek on his arm. “Fine! I’ll take my awesome hat and my forgettable coffee and sit over in the corner to wait for my date. Hopefully it’s someone who respects awesome hats and definitely-not-dorky-looking men.”

Craig turned away, grinning like a fool.

“Oh hey, one more thing!” Tweek called out as Craig headed to the back of the cafe. “I’m working a different shift tomorrow, so you might not see me! I just don’t want you to worry and think I’m dead again!”

Craig held up his middle finger as he heard Tweek chuckle behind him.

* * *

Tweek had a penchant for forgetting things. Not major things, like important work related stuff or his friends’ birthdays, but really stupid things, like leaving his phone in a public bathroom or forgetting his keys at work. Today, he did the latter. It was the eighth time this month.

Luckily for Tweek, his apartment wasn’t very far away from Hyperbean. He lived in a small studio unit two floors above it. Still, after a long day at work and two hours out running errands downtown, the last thing he wanted to do was show his face back at work. His hands began to twitch at the mere thought of going back down there. He took a couple deep breaths and counted back from ten. Once he reached zero, the twitching had stopped.

He hopped down the stairs and out into the cold December air for a few seconds before he pulled open the front door of Hyperbean. He tried to keep a low profile as he snuck through.

“Do you think this is actually oat milk? It doesn’t taste like oat milk. Here, take a sip and tell me if you think it tastes like there’s oat milk in there.”

Tweek’s eyes widened as he listened to the very loud patron rambling about oat milk, of all things. He was so glad he wasn’t working the second shift today. He would have been arrested for murder if he had. He made a beeline for the back room where his office was located. He could clearly visualize his keys still dangling from the doorknob—an extremely safe place to leave them.

“No, no thank you. I, uh, I don’t like oat milk,” said a familiar voice.

Tweek smiled hearing Craig’s voice. Even if he wasn’t able to make his drink today, it was comforting knowing that he was still here on his date. He looked forward to seeing his resting bitch face every day over this past week or so. He did not look forward to it ending soon. He hoped that maybe his coffee had won over Craig enough that he might stop by for a cup every once in a while, even if the location was out of his way.

He sighed as he saw his keys right where he’d left them. He grabbed them and shoved them into his pocket before turning on his heel and trying to get out before something kept him there all night.

“Oh hey, Tweek!”

Shit.

“Hey Heather!” he whispered. “I’m not _actually_ here right now, I just forgot my keys.”

“Again?”

“ _Yes!”_

“Don’t worry, Craig. If you drink out of this side of the cup, you won’t catch my cold sore,” said Craig’s annoyingly loud date.

Heather grimaced. “Gross…”

“What the hell is up with that guy, anyway?” Tweek asked.

“I don’t know who he is, but the dork in the blue hat has been sitting with him for over an hour now,” she said. “He’s ordered like five different drinks and keeps sending them back for one reason or another. I don’t know if he’s doing it on purpose or if he’s really that food sensitive.”

“Over an hour? Poor Craig.”

“I can’t drink soy milk because soy increases the risk of cancer and I really don’t care for cancer,” Craig’s date loudly continued. “I tried rice milk once, but the canola oil in most of them makes me gassy. I’m allergic to almonds so I can’t have almond milk or I get a full body rash. Coconut milk is fine, but I won’t put it in my coffee. It’s too tropical. Cow’s milk makes me all bloaty and I end up on the toilet for hours. See that’s why I need to make sure there’s actually oat milk in the coffee, Craig.”

“Uh-huh,” said Craig, digging his fingernails into his forearm so that he’d feel something.

Tweek walked up to the doorway leading into the dining area and peeked out at Craig. He looked utterly miserable. He was fidgeting around uncomfortably in his chair, opening and closing his mouth like he was trying to speak but ended up being immediately cut off by his date. Craig was so comfortable flipping off Tweek that he figured Craig would’ve sent this guy packing ages ago. There must be a reason for why Craig is still on this date. Maybe...maybe he’s worried that this guy could hurt him. Maybe this guy has a gun pointed at him under the table. Maybe this guy had a bomb strapped under his chair and if Craig got up it would explode!

“Tweek! Sir, you’re hyperventilating again!”

“ _What?!_ Oh...thanks, Heather.”

Tweek counted back from thirty, gradually taking slower and fuller breaths as he did. When he got to zero, he was breathing normally again.

“Oh, that reminds me!” said Craig’s date. “If we’re going to make out after this, we need to stop at the store so I can buy some Abreva for my cold sore. I usually carry some with me at all times, but I ran out.”

Tweek looked back at Craig and bit his lip. Listening to Craig’s date drone on and on while he stood here was painful enough, let alone having to sit across from the guy. Tweek had to do something to help Craig out of this distressing situation. His legs started moving before his brain could come up with a plan. His stomach was full of butterflies and dread as he approached Craig’s table. With nothing left to lose, he fell back on an old skill.

“Hey baby, there you are!”

Tweek bent over, cradled Craig’s face in his hands, and kissed him. Tweek couldn’t see Craig’s expression while his eyes were closed, but he could feel his jaw tense from the unexpected surprise. Tweek quickly pulled back from the kiss and stood up straight. He didn’t want to hurt the ruse by lingering too long and risking Craig reacting poorly to the kiss.

“I hope you weren’t waiting for me too long. Traffic was really ba—Wait.”

Tweek froze in place.

“Who’s this? Is this…? Are you…? Oh my god…”

Tweek’s face fell.

“No...no! This isn’t happening! Not on our anniversary!”

Tweek’s lip began to quiver as tears welled up in his eyes.

Craig stared dumbstruck at Tweek’s theatrics. He looked back and forth between Tweek and his date with no explanation for what was happening in front of him.

“Oh dear, are you married, Craig? You know I was worried about this sort of thing happening with this dating app. That’s why I never use dating apps, people like you just use them to cheat on their partners. I don’t care for being a homewrecker so I’m gonna go. You’re a real douchebag, Craig. And you’re boring.”

Craig’s date looked at Tweek. “I’m sorry for—”

“Just get out, please!” Tweek pointed to the exit, a single tear falling down his face as he did.

“I can’t believe you would do something like this to me, Craig! What about our children?!” Tweek screamed as Craig’s date scurried to the door.

When Tweek heard the bell ring and the door close, he glanced over to make sure the man was gone. He smiled and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.

“I hope that wasn’t too forward,” he said as he turned back to Craig. 

“I don’t know what’s going on right now,” said Craig, flatly.

“I’m sorry, dude,” Tweek laughed. “I had to stop back in to get my keys and I heard your date. You looked like you were miserable, but something was holding you back from telling them that the date just wasn’t working out.”

“I know, I know…” Craig massaged his temples with his fingers. “Normally I would have, but...I kinda felt bad for the guy. One of the first things he said was that all of his dates have gone poorly so far. I know how I’d feel in that situation, so…”

“Sounds like you’re a masochist,” Tweek grinned.

Craig cringed and buried his head in his hands. “Thank you for saving me. I don’t know how much longer I was going to last.”

“Any time, my dude!”

Tweek placed his hand on Craig’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“Oh, and I’m sorry I kissed you without asking first. Not that I would’ve been able to,” Tweek laughed nervously. “I couldn’t think of anything else, and I knew it would cause a scene.”

“I, uh...thanks. It’s okay. The kiss was okay.” Craig’s eyes widened and he grabbed the strings of his chullo. “And by okay I don’t mean the quality of it! It was good! Well, maybe not good cause that’d be weird given the context, but I mean that it was okay that you kissed me without asking first. That’s what I mean by okay.”

“I got what you meant.” Tweek smiled at Craig. “Man, you know? It felt pretty damn good to do act again. I haven’t done any acting since high school, but I guess I still got it. At least good enough to convince that guy it was real.”

“You mean it’s not you guys’ anniversary?” called a voice from across the cafe.

“No, we’re not actually dating, Mrs. Farnickle!” replied Tweek.

“Well, you could have fooled me! Does that mean you're single?”

“Indeed I am, but would Mr. Farnickle really be okay with me taking you out on a date?” Tweek winked at her.

“Oh, you big flirt!” she said, waving her hand up and down.

Tweek turned back to Craig. “Anyway, I gotta run. Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Uh...yeah. I’ll be here,” said Craig.

“Alright, great. It’s a date then!” Tweek laughed and slapped Craig once on the back before he disappeared out the door.

Craig tugged on the strings of his chullo, pulling it down far enough to cover his eyes. He felt his face burning bright as his heart pounded in his chest. He sat like that, alone at his table, for several minutes before he was able to calm down. Finally, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened up a text to Clyde.

_Hey dude, remember how I said I didn’t have a crush on the coffee guy?_

_I have a crush on the coffee guy._

* * *

Did Tweek always have such beautiful eyes? He must have, but Craig never _really_ noticed them until today. He had let Tweek do most of the talking today while he made his drink, preferring to just watch the way he moved as he worked. The way his hands danced from step to step while preparing his coffee. It was like poetry in motion. Did people know that making a drink was like creating art? Tweek was an artist—the mug, his canvas; the beans, his paint.

Craig contemplated these deep thoughts while he waited for his date. It would’ve been odd to stand at the counter and watch Tweek like that while he waited, so he chose to watch him from his table, a safe and not-at-all-creepy distance away. 

Even once the date started, Craig couldn’t help but steal glances at Tweek. He had positioned himself in such a way where his date would think he was looking at them when really he was looking behind them at the beautiful blond man behind them. He paid enough attention to his date to keep it going. He didn’t want to cut it short because then he wouldn’t have an excuse to stay and keep watching Tweek. Sure, he could always choose to stay for another cup after his date, but then he would be too obvious.

He smiled and nodded at his date. They seemed nice - really funny, too. The date felt like it was going well. If this were any other coffee shop in the city, Craig would be interested in going on a second date. He would be feeling sparks.

But the only sparks he felt was when he snuck a glance at Tweek only to discover that Tweek was looking at him, too.

* * *

“So tomorrow’s your last date, huh?” asked Tweek, handing Craig his daily coffee.

“Yeah...yeah I guess it is,” said Craig.

“Have you found the person you want to ask to be your date on Christmas then? Or whatever the fuck that silly app says that you have to do at the end?”

“Oh...right. Um, to be honest, I really haven’t.”

Tweek laughed. “Well damn, you probably should then! At least figure out who you liked best of the first ten, and then if today or tomorrow’s dates are even better, then at least you’ve narrowed it down some, you know?”

“Yeah. That makes sense.”

Tweek cocked his head to the side. “You’re quieter today. I know you’re not super talkative in general, but you’re noticeably quieter. You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah I’m okay. I just have some stuff on my mind,” said Craig. He made eye contact with Tweek for a moment and a rush of butterflies flew through his stomach. He quickly averted his eyes. “School stuff.”

“Aren’t you on break from school at this point? It’s two days before Christmas, my dude.”

“Yes, I am. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to be thinking about stuff I need to do next semester. Grad school is never-ending.”

Tweek shrugged. “Okay then. Just promise me you’ll take some time for yourself during your break. The holidays are stressful enough, and I know these dates weren’t always easy for you. Even good dates can be nerve wracking. So just...make sure you do something that you really wanna do, okay?”

Tweek smiled at Craig. He had smiled at Craig many times during the past eleven days, but this one felt different. It wasn’t a smile that resulted from a joke or some playful banter. It was such a warm, genuine smile. The kind of smile that could light up a dark room.

Craig took a deep breath and returned the smile.

“I will. Promise.”

The front door opened as a strong gust of wind blew by, forcing it open until it smacked against the side of the building.

“ _Gah!”_ Tweek shrieked as both men jumped at the sudden loud sound.

A man was standing in the doorway, trying his best to pull the door closed against the wind.

“I’m so sorry about that!” he said once the door was closed. “Oh! You must be Craig! Thanks for wearing the same blue hat from your profile pic so I could find you easily.”

“Yeah, no problem. Why don’t you order and I’ll go grab a table,” said Craig.

“That sounds perfect,” said his date.

Craig took his mug and walked toward the back of the cafe. He sat down at a table, facing the counter. He watched as Tweek made his date’s drink. When Tweek turned around and found Craig watching him, he winked and smiled.

_Make sure I do something I really want to do, huh?_

* * *

_I’m so sorry to be doing this to you at the last minute._

_Oh no, don’t worry_

_This actually works out for me._

_I can catch an earlier bus to my parents house for Christmas Eve dinner._

_Hopefully I’ll just miss the blizzard._

_Thanks, and stay safe out there._

Blizzard be damned, Craig was still going to make it to Hyperbean today. The buses were slowed down by the snow, and most of the taxis were already occupied by people trying to bypass said bus delays. It took over two hours to get from his and Clyde’s apartment to the other side of the city. Craig trudged forward against cold winds, fueled by his determination—and a little bit of stubbornness.

He pulled open the door and stepped inside, the bell announcing his arrival. The shop was empty and the chairs were placed upside down on the tables. Tweek was nowhere in sight.

“I’m sorry, we’re closing early today because of the blizzard,” Tweek called out from the backroom. “And because it’s Christmas Eve, but mostly the blizzard.” His voice got louder as he walked out. 

Tweek stopped in the doorway. “Craig? What are you doing here? I mean, yeah, I know, your last date and all, but I’m sorry dude, you’re going to have to find a different place for it. It’s been dead in here all day and unfortunately I’m not going to stay open just so you can have you date.”

Tweek patted the pockets of his jeans and cursed under his breath. “Keys!” He turned back around and ran into the backroom to grab them.

Craig found himself unable to talk. So much for his determination and stubbornness. His fingers tugged at the strings of his chullo as he tried to find the right words.

“You’re still here?” asked Tweek when he returned.

“I CANCELED MY DATE,” Craig announced, louder than intended.

Tweek’s eyes widened in stunned surprise. “Okay. That was probably a safe id—”

“I didn’t cancel it because of the blizzard,” said Craig. “I...I canceled it because I wanted to...uh… Would you…?” He nervously wrapped the strings around his fingers. “I think that… Well you said that…something I want to do…”

Craig took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. “I’ve really enjoyed talking with you over the last two weeks, and I think you’re cute and I was wondering if you would be my date for today?”

Tweek was taken aback. “I, uh...wow.”

Craig’s face began to burn with embarrassment. “Like...bad wow?”

“No no no! Good wow! I just never expected something like this to happen, even though I wanted it to.”

“So does that mean…?” Craig held his breath.

“Yes, I’ll be your date today. I will be your date today so fucking hard,” Tweek grinned.

Craig smiled so much that his face hurt. “Just so you know, this is me making time for myself. This is me doing something that I really want to do.”

“I’m proud of you, taking my sage advice,” Tweek laughed. “But uh, I’m still closing up the shop. I don’t really like being here when I’m not working, you know? Is there anywhere else you’d like to go?”

“No clue,” said Craig. “I was assuming it would just be here. You probably aren’t the only place closing early, either.”

“Well before you came by, my plan was to head upstairs to my apartment and watch some Christmas movies alone. Would you like to join me?”

“That sounds perfect.”

* * *

“I’m sorry that my apartment is so small,” said Tweek as he unlocked his door. “I can only afford a studio around here, but it’s worth it for the commute,” he laughed.

“I don’t mind. It’s not much bigger than mine, even if mine does have two bedrooms. I think it was originally a one-bedroom that was forced into a two-bedroom by putting a wall in. The bedrooms are ridiculously small.”

“That’s city life for ya.” Tweek dropped his keys and wallet onto his kitchen counter. “The bathroom is behind there and my living room and bedroom is that space over there by the window. Here, let me take your coat.”

Craig handed his coat to Tweek, then wandered into the living room area to look around. Tweek had a series of photos on the wall next to his television. Craig recognized Tweek’s friends in one photo, and there was another photo that must have been taken on the day Hyperbean opened. He smiled. Tweek looked unbelievably happy in them. Craig hoped that this date would make Tweek just as happy.

“I don’t know about you, but I am starving!” said Tweek. “I’m gonna make something. Are you okay with boxed mac and cheese? I just don’t want to spend all our time together cooking, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Do you need any help?”

“Nah, it’s just boxed mac and cheese, dude. Thank you for offering, though. You know what would help me a lot right now is for you to take your handsome self over to my couch and get comfy.”

Craig felt his cheeks flush at the comment. He sat down and kicked off his shoes, curling up onto the couch. It was surprisingly comfortable, despite it’s old and worn out appearance.

“Are you okay with me using cow milk and butter?” asked Tweek. “I suppose you would’ve told me if you had an allergy when I first said I was making mac and cheese, but I still figured I’d check.”

“Sounds great.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have any oat milk. I know that must be disappointing to y—”

Tweek was hit in the face by one of his throw pillows. He erupted into a fit of laughter as he looked over at Craig’s face.

“You’re a dick,” said Craig, trying his best to suppress his own laughter. “I am trying my best to erase that date from my memory.” He paused for a moment. “Except for when you kissed me. I enjoyed that part.”

Tweek smirked as he filled up a pot with water. “Oh, you liked that, huh? Is that when you fell for me?” he teased.

“No...no, that was when my roommate was proved right,” he sighed. _“Again._ He said I had a crush on you when he asked me how the dates were going and all I could talk about was how cool you were.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet!”

“Don’t you make me throw another pillow at you,” Craig laughed.

Once the food was done, they ate on the couch while getting to know each other better. Craig explained what he was working on in school. Tweek told him the story of how he ended up opening his own coffee shop—and where the Hyperbean name and slogan originated. Outside, the wind and snow continued to ravage the city, but inside, Tweek and Craig were warm, dry, and happy.

“So what Christmas movies were you planning to watch?” asked Craig once the empty bowls were discarded into the sink.

“Gremlins and Die Hard.”

“...What?”

“Look, I know it’s controversial about whether they count as Christmas movies or whatever, but you can blame those assholes Stan and Kenny for making it one of my Christmas traditions,” Tweek laughed. “When we were younger, every year we’d get shitfaced together and watch them. Now that they have families, they don’t really have the time for non-traditional Christmas movies, but I do.”

Tweek flopped down onto the couch next to Craig.

“I’ll try to keep an open mind,” said Craig.

The night continued on, and by the end of Gremlins, Craig was won over.

“Okay, I give in. I get it now. I mean damn, Gizmo is a freaking Christmas gift, and the movie takes place on Christmas Eve. Sure, it doesn’t have Santa or some sort of family reunion or whatever, but I don’t give a fuck. That is a fun-ass Christmas movie.”

“Right? _Right?_ That’s what I’m saying!” said Tweek. “Okay, now we’ll switch over to Die Hard, where a young, hot, sweaty Bruce Willis fights a major Daddy energy Alan Rickman on Christmas Eve.”

“You should write movie summaries on the side,” Craig laughed. 

As the movie played, Tweek shifted on the couch so that he was lying down with his head in Craig’s lap. Craig felt so relaxed that he didn’t think anything of it. He instinctively began to stroke Tweek’s head in his lap. Tweek hummed to himself and gently rubbed Craig’s knee.

Near the end of the movie, Craig looked down at Tweek only to discover Tweek staring back at him. Craig blushed as he wondered how long he’d been watching him.

“Hi,” said Tweek, softly.

“...Hi,” said Craig.

“So…you said you liked the part where I kissed you the other day?”

Craig nodded.

“Wanna do it for real this time?”

Craig let out a shuddered breath. “Yes. Yes, I really fucking would.”

Tweek smiled and sat up. He moved around on the couch until he was facing Craig, straddling his lap. He placed his hands against the couch on either side of Craig’s shoulder. He leaned in, resting his forehead against Craig’s—lips parted and eyes full of want.

Craig swallowed. He could feel Tweek’s breath against his lips. He was so close, yet so far. Tweek was keeping him in this perpetual state of anticipation. His stomach was a knot waiting to be undone.

“If you want it, Craig…then come get it,” whispered Tweek.

Craig closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against Tweek’s and sliding his hands up his thighs. His hands stopped on Tweek’s hips, his fingers digging into the stiff denim. He felt Tweek’s lips part and gently suck on his bottom lip for just a moment. Craig parted his lips in response, lightly tracing Tweek’s mouth with his tongue. His stomach flipped when he felt Tweek’s tongue touch his own.

Tweek let his hands move from the couch to Craig’s body as they continued to kiss, slow and sensual. He rubbed Craig’s shoulders, kneading his fingers into the tense muscle. One hand then snaked down between Craig’s back and the couch, while the other slid up the back of Craig’s neck and into his hair. Tweek stroked the back of Craig’s head as they kissed, his hips slowly grinding against Craig’s thighs.

Craig moaned into Tweek’s mouth. Between Tweek’s jeans and his own slacks, there wasn’t much relief in the friction created, but it was just enough to make him putty in Tweek's arms.

“You like that, Craig?” Tweek whispered against Craig’s lips.

“Yeah,” Craig sighed before taking Tweek’s lips once more.

Craig pulled Tweek’s hips closer, sliding his hands around his back and slipping them underneath the hem of his jeans. He moved his hands down as far as he could, squeezing the top of Tweek’s ass.

Tweek pulled away from the kiss, moaning and pushing out his ass to give Craig easier access. Craig whined at the loss of friction, but soon Tweek’s face was buried in his neck, kissing and sucking at the sensitive skin. Tweek then moved up to Craig’s ear, nibbling on the lobe. Craig groaned and grabbed a bigger handful of Tweek’s ass. 

“I want to suck your dick so bad,” he whispered in Craig’s ear.

“Me too,” sighed Craig.

Craig immediately tensed once he realized what he had said.

“I mean that I also want to suck dick. Your dick! I didn’t mean that I also wanted to suck my own dick!”

Tweek grinned and kissed Craig on the forehead. “You’re sexy when you’re awkward.”

Tweek climbed off of Craig’s lap and pulled his shirt off over his head.

“Follow me to my bedroom,” he purred as he started to unbutton his jeans. He walked around the couch to his “bedroom”—a pro and con of living in a small studio apartment. He shimmied out of his jeans and boxer briefs, kicking them off behind him.

Craig was still sitting on the couch, but mesmerized by Tweek’s body.

“You know, I’m really good at sucking dick, but I’m not so good that I could suck yours from here, especially while you’re fully clothed,” he laughed.

“Sorry, I was easily distracted by you getting naked.” Craig’s eyes roamed up and down Tweek’s body, trying to memorize every detail.

Tweek began to blush from the attention. “Just get your flat ass over here already,” he said.

“Hey! My ass isn’t flat,” Craig insisted.

“I dunno, it looks pretty flat from over here. Guess you’re gonna have to join me and get naked too so you can prove it.”

Tweek sat down and watched with rapt attention as Craig rose from the couch and unbuttoned his dress shirt. He cursed himself under his breath for bothering to even wear a dress shirt today, but he had thought that maybe dressing nice would have helped him get Tweek to say yes. Once he finally unfastened all the buttons, he started to slide the shirt off his shoulders when Tweek stopped him.

“Nah, keep it on. You look sexy like that.”

Craig smiled and went to work on his pants. He walked around the couch and stopped in front of Tweek. Turning to face away from him, he pulled down his pants slowly, revealing his modest—but definitely not flat—ass. Once his pants were fully off, he gave his right cheek a smack.

“Not fucking flat, bitch.”

Tweek giggled at the absurdity. “I stand corrected, dork. You seriously need some new pants, though, cause those don’t do anything for your ass.”

“We can deal with that later. In the meantime,” Craig leaned in close to Tweek and lowered his voice, “I remember a certain someone saying something about wanting to suck my dick?”

Tweek licked his bottom lip and smiled. “The bed is all yours, cutie.”

Craig climbed up onto Tweek’s bed and lied down on his back, spreading his legs slightly to get comfortable. He placed his hands behind his head and watched as Tweek crouched low and kissed his ankle. Tweek kissed up his legs, alternating between the left and right, until he reached the crease where Craig’s thigh met his pubic bone. Tweek looked into Craig’s eyes and stuck out his tongue, lowering his head and slowly licking up Craig’s cock from the base to the tip. Craig’s cock twitched as Tweek lapped at the head, tasting the tiny drop of precum that had formed.

“Sensitive are we?” teased Tweek.

“It’s been a while since I’ve gotten head, so yeah,” Craig said with a shuddered breath.

“I’ll have to be careful then. I don’t want you to come just yet.”

Craig watched as Tweek wrapped his lips around the head of his cock and slowly slid his mouth down to the base. Craig closed his eyes. The feeling of Tweek’s warm, wet mouth surrounding him was amazing. And then Tweek began to move.

Tweek braced his hands on both sides of Craig’s hips as he moved his head up and down, sucking and slurping on Craig’s dick, feeling it throb against his tongue. The sound of Craig’s moans could barely be heard over the movie’s menu screen playing over and over, but as Tweek changed his pace, the moans grew louder. Tweek’s own cock ached as he listened to Craig. He wanted to hear him beg. He wanted to hear him say his name when he came.

Tweek pulled his mouth off of Craig’s cock—a string of thick saliva still connected his tongue to the tip. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled. Craig swallowed, unsure what he was going to do next.

Tweek climbed up higher on the bed, straddling Craig’s waist and leaning down to kiss him. Craig whimpered into Tweek’s mouth as he felt their cocks brush against each other. It was just a hint, just a taste, and Craig craved more.

“How would you feel about sixty-nining?” Tweek asked, stroking Craig’s cheek with his thumb.

“Yes, fuck yes, just put your dick in my mouth, please,” Craig whined.

Tweek gave Craig a quick kiss on the lips before swinging his legs so that he was now facing the other direction. He shifted his knees back so they were on either side of Craig’s head, then lowered himself down so their bodies were pressed together. Craig’s skin was warm and soft. 

Tweek felt Craig take his cock in his hand right before he felt the warm wetness of his tongue swirling around the head. Craig parted his lips and swallowed Tweek whole, using his hands to pull Tweek’s hips down lower. Once Tweek felt his balls press against Craig’s nose, he wrapped his hand around Craig’s cock and gave it a few strokes. He gently rocked his hips up and down, fucking Craig’s throat with slow, shallow strokes.

“Your mouth feels so fucking good, Craig.”

Craig’s muffled moan coupled with his hips lifting up in the air told Tweek what he wanted. Still holding Craig’s cock, he sucked hard on the head before sliding his mouth up and down the shaft. Craig’s hips rolled and bucked at the sensation. Tweek felt Craig’s core muscles tighten, but he didn’t want him to come just yet.

Tweek pulled out of Craig’s mouth, rolled over onto his back, then sat up on the edge of his bed.

“Oh, come on! I was about to come!” whined Craig.

“I know,” said Tweek, catching his breath. “I’m not done with you yet. Trust me, I’ll let you know when you can come.”

Craig lifted himself up on his elbows and watched as Tweek opened his nightstand’s drawer. Tweek pulled out a condom packet and a bottle of lube.

“You are, like, the greatest Christmas present ever,” said Craig. 

Tweek chuckled as he held up the two items. “Do you want to be top or bottom?”

Craig took a moment to think. “Bottom. I am way too close to coming to be a good top right now,” he laughed.

“Maybe next time,” Tweek said with a smile.

“Oh? There’s going to be a next time?”

“I don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet, but—” Tweek lowered his voice to a whisper, like he was sharing a secret. “—I really like you a lot, Craig.”

“I really like you, too, Tweek.”

Tweek tossed the lube at Craig. “Alright then, show me how much you like me. Finger yourself for me. I wanna watch.”

Craig’s body flushed. He rolled over onto his stomach and grabbed the lube, popping off the top. With one hand, he spread his ass as much as he could, and with the other, he drizzled some lube onto his asshole. He hissed at how cold the lube felt.

Tossing the closed bottle back at Tweek first, Craig twisted his upper body and reached a hand behind him, slipping a finger between his cheeks. He rubbed slow circles around his hole with the pad of his finger, coaxing the muscle to relax. When he was ready to continue, he looked up into Tweek’s eyes, holding eye contact as he pushed his finger inside.

“That’s it, Craig. Get yourself ready for me,” said Tweek.

He bit his lip as he watched Craig thrust, twist, and curl his finger into his tight hole. His cock ached to be inside of him. It hung hard and heavy between Tweek’s legs, dripping in anticipation. When Craig slipped in a second finger, Tweek tore open the condom and rolled it on. He couldn’t wait a moment more.

Tweek climbed back onto the bed and Craig took out his fingers, moving his hand down in front of him. Tweek grabbed under Craig’s hips and lifted them up so that Craig’s knees were now underneath him. Craig braced himself against the bed as he felt Tweek rub his cock against his ass. Tweek spread Craig open with one hand and held his cock in place with the other as he slowly pushed inside.

Craig whimpered as Tweek took his sweet time filling him up. It felt like torture when Craig wanted sweet release. He felt Tweek’s hips press against his ass. He felt Tweek gently stroke his hair.

“Jesus Christ, will you just fuck me already? _Please!”_ Craig begged.

Tweek grinned as he pulled back his hips and snapped them forward, continuing to thrust in and out at a quick and steady pace. He was just giving Craig what he wanted.

Craig shoved his face in the bed, moaning loudly every time Tweek buried his cock inside of him. His fingers clawed at the bedsheets, desperate to grab ahold of anything. It had been months since he had felt so full. His entire body lit up with pleasure as the pressure started to build in his abdomen.

But then Tweek slowed down. He gave one more thrust and stayed balls deep inside Craig.

“You’re a fucking asshole if you stop right now, Tweek!”

Tweek laughed softly. “A little position change, babe. Come on, let me help you up.”

Tweek helped Craig sit up onto his knees so that the back of his thighs were flush against Tweek’s thighs.

“I wanna try something,” he said. “Put your hands on your head and keep them there.”

Craig followed through.

Tweek placed one hand on Craig’s upper thigh and slipped the other arm around his waist. He brushed his fingers up and down Craig’s length before wrapping his hand around it. He began to slowly stroke Craig’s dick at the same time that he began to rock his hips back and forth. Holding Craig in place, he kept up a torturously slow pace of long, deep thrusts in time with his hand’s strokes.

Craig brought his hands down to hold onto Tweek’s arms. The sensation was strong—right on the brink of being too much. Craig was afraid of giving up all control of his own pleasure.

Tweek stopped. “I won’t start again until your hands are on your head, Craig.”

“It’s too much for me. I can’t…”

“I need you to trust me, Craig. You can let go. I’ve got you.”

Craig whimpered, but complied.

Tweek began to move again, as he promised. The tension continued to build inside of Craig. It felt like his body was tingling from his head to his fingers to his toes. It was a strange new feeling—but definitely not a bad one.

Right as Craig was on the edge, feeling like he couldn’t take anymore, he finally came. His whole body tensed and released—Tweek’s name on his tongue as his thighs shook and his cum spilled out onto the sheets. Tweek was only a few moments behind him, holding Craig tight against him as he filled the condom.

Tweek pulled Craig against his chest and just held him for a moment. Craig was glad he was being held down, cause if Tweek let go, he felt like he’d float away. Craig finally lowered his arms, placing his hands over Tweek’s hands. He turned his head as much as he could and Tweek leaned in for a tiny, gentle kiss.

“I suppose I should go clean myself up,” said Craig. He was reluctant to move, but he knew he couldn’t stay here forever. “Is it okay if I use your shower real quick?”

“Yeah, go right ahead.”

The steam quickly filled the bathroom as hot water streamed down Craig’s back. He felt a dull ache of longing in his heart, and he couldn’t figure out why. Tweek mentioned a next time, so he was most likely open for a second date. That should make Craig happy, and yet he felt wistful. Their date was ending soon and Craig was dreading saying goodbye.

The bathroom door opened and closed. Tweek stepped into the shower behind Craig and wrapped his arms around his waist. Craig never wanted this moment to end.

“You seem pensive,” said Tweek.

“That’s ‘cause I am.”

Tweek rested his chin on Craig’s shoulder. “Well then, whatcha thinking about?”

“About how much I like you. About how I don’t want to get out of the shower because I don’t want to leave you tonight.”

Tweek only responded with a kiss to Craig’s shoulder.

“I didn’t think I’d actually find someone I wanted to be with from this stupid dating app, but if I had never used it, I would never have met you.”

“Speaking of that app,” said Tweek, “you’re at the end of your twelve dates.”

“That’s true.”

“You decide who you want to spend Christmas with yet?”

Craig turned around to find Tweek looking at him with a huge smile. It was hard for Craig to hold his own smile back.

“Tweek, will you be my Christmas date?” he asked.

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this story! If you enjoyed it, please take the time to leave a kudos or a comment!
> 
> Social media: @otherluces on Tumblr and Twitter; Luces#5969 on Discord


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